Speaking about the impact on beneficiaries that she witnessed while working at WE, Jessica reflected,

In Ecuador we welcomed hundreds of North America students each year to learn more about Ecuador, its people and culture. It was amazing to see the energy and passion of these young people and their desire to support positive change.

Additionally, I was proud of the work and approach WE took to partnering with indigenous communities. Employing local indigenous staff who worked directly with indigenous communities was an important step in the success of our work. I enjoyed every chance to go to a community and see the impact of our work.

Jessica described her experience at WE, saying,

WE had a fun, hardworking environment that values respect and trust. My team was responsible for ensuring youth had a safe, clean stay in the lodge we managed, and we took this responsibility very seriously. The in-country management supported staff and were always there at our side to manage through any problems.

Looking back on what she was most proud to be working on during her time at WE, Jessica said,

My team was made up of indigenous women and I was very proud to work closely with them to grow them as individuals who would normally not have any formal job opportunities. They were keen to learn, were very hardworking and took great pride in every aspect of their work. I was most proud to lead the team and work with them.